Sudan Bible College Bombed

Two Heiban Bible College buildings in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan were destroyed on Wednesday when two bombs landed on the compound, which Samaritan’s Purse heavily supports.

Amazingly, even though the campus was full of students, teachers and teachers’ families, no one was injured. Wednesday marked the first day of school this year.

Franklin Graham, CEO and president of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, has issued a call to pray for this African nation.

“We have been working for years in Sudan,” Graham said. “Today our Bible school in Heiban in the Nuba Mountains was bombed by the Sudanese Air Force. No one was killed or hurt, but buildings were destroyed. Please pray for the safety of believers, and that God would intervene.”

Along with ministry partner Sami Dagher, a prominent church leader in the Arab world, Samaritan’s Purse has supported the Bible college since its opening in 2007. Samaritan’s Purse has helped build classrooms, dormitories, kitchens, a dining room and housing for teachers.

In 2010, 36 students became the first class to graduate from Heiban Bible College and Franklin Graham spoke at the ceremony.

“We at Samaritan’s Purse condemn the repeated attacks on the innocent people who are being terrorized in the Nuba Mountains,” Graham said. “Many have been forced to flee their homes, and we are committed to helping those in need.”

Over the past 10 years, Samaritan’s Purse has supported Christians in the Nuba region, building 168 churches while providing aid through agricultural, educational and clean water projects. Since 1993, Samaritan’s Purse has spent some $100 million helping the Sudanese people and has rebuilt 478 churches since 2005.

“My prayer is that the world will not just sit by and watch and hope for the best,” Graham said, “but make it clear to the government of Sudan that attacks like these will not be tolerated.”

Wednesday’s bombing comes less than three months after a bomb explosion in South Sudan, which gained its independence as a country in July 2011.

In August 2011, Samaritan’s Purse began working at the Yida refugee camp after reports had surfaced of displaced people. Many individuals were stranded without access to food, shelter and clean water and more than 28,000 have now been registered at the Yida camp just across the border.

On Nov. 11, 2011, four bombs fell on the Yida refugee camp, reportedly dropped by the Sudan government, shortly after the U.N. started delivering food supplies. Three of the four bombs exploded, but the one landing near a schoolhouse with hundreds of school children around miraculously did not detonate and no casualties were reported.

Less than a week earlier, Franklin Graham visited this camp on his way to preach at BGEA’s four-day Hyderabad Festival in India.

“Pray for peace to come to this troubled region,” Graham wrote in an email prayer alert shortly after the South Sudan bombing. “Most of all, please pray that the people we are helping will find lasting hope in Jesus Christ.”